Rapid connection plate for a cyclist&#39;s shoe on an automatic cycle pedal

ABSTRACT

The plate comprises a body ( 2 ) provided with securement holes ( 3 ) of the plate ( 1 ) to the sole of a shoe, and a first rear connection member ( 10 ) and a second front connection member ( 11 ). The first and second connection members have bearing surfaces ( 12  to  17 ) adapted to coact with a rear pivoting hooking member respectively with a front fixed hooking member provided on the pedal. All the bearing surfaces ( 12  to  15 ) of at least the first rear connecting member ( 10 ) are formed on an added member ( 18 ) of a material having a coefficient of friction reduced relative to that of the material of the body ( 2 ).

The present invention relates to a rapid connection plate for a cyclist's shoe on an automatic cycle pedal.

There are known such rapid connection plates comprising a body provided with securement holes for the plate to the sole of a shoe. In general, these securement holes are formed by longitudinal slots permitting a certain longitudinal adjustment of the position of the plate on the sole.

These rapid connection plates comprise a rear connection member which is a female member adapted to coact with a hooking member pivotally mounted on the pedal, and a front connection member which generally has the shape of a male member adapted to coact with a fixed hooking member provided on the pedal.

The rear hooking member on the pedal is pre-stressed by resilient means which usually is constituted by a spring. Such a hooking device with a rapid connection plate is conventional and is described for example in EP 0 146 454.

The engagement of the plate on the pedal takes place in an automatic manner by introduction of the front connection member into the front hooking member on the pedal and by a pivotal movement of the plate downwardly, which makes the rear hooking member pivot outwardly against the effect of the spring so as to permit the introduction of the free end of the latter into the rear connection member of the plate. Then, the rear hooking member returns automatically to its initial position under the force of the spring.

The disengagement of the plate, which is to say the freeing of this latter from the pedal, takes place by a movement of rotation of the plate about a vertical axis adjacent the front end of the plate, which gives rise to the pivoting of the rear hooking member which thus releases its grip. The interaction between these members is described in detail in the above-cited document.

This co-action on the one hand between the rear connection member and the pivoting hooking member, and on the other hand between the front connection member and the fixed hooking member, takes place on the bearing surfaces provided on the front and rear connection members of the plate. These bearing surfaces are thus the only ones exposed to friction between the contacting members, above all during disengagement of the plate.

The conventional plates are either of metal and sufficiently small to be practically encased in the sole, or of plastic material and relatively large to be fixed onto the sole in a manner to constitute a member projecting from the latter.

The invention relates in particular to these plates of plastic material which are made by injection molding. Contrary to the metallic plates encased in the sole, the plates of plastic material are very exposed to wear when the cyclist walks on the ground. It is above all a question of the front portion which has a tendency to wear rapidly during walking.

For this reason, the plastic material used to constitute the body of the plate must be a hard plastic material having high characteristics of resistance to wear such as for example an acetal resin. However, a result of this hardness of the material is that it has a relatively high coefficient of friction.

It would however be desirable to have bearing surfaces on the plate which have a reduced coefficient of friction so as to facilitate the release of the plate from its engaged condition on the pedal. More precisely, a reduced coefficient of friction would facilitate the rotation of the plate and at the same time the pressure exerted by the plate during rotation on the pre-stressed rear hooking member to cause it to swing so as thereby to free the plate.

Experience has however shown that a reduced coefficient of friction is not compatible with a plastic material having characteristics of high resistance to wear because if its coefficient of friction is reduced, it becomes less resistant. As a result, priority has been given to resistance for safety reasons.

Moreover, the known rapid connection plates do not give any indication of the progress of wear and there is thus a risk of accident upon breaking of one or the other of the connection members on the plate.

The invention has for its object to overcome these drawbacks by providing a rapid connection plate with a different construction and which nevertheless remains easy to produce.

Another object of the invention is to improve the resistance to wear of the plate at the locations most exposed to wear during walking of the cyclist.

Another object of the invention is to provide wear indicating means on the plate to warn the cyclist when it is time to change plates for reasons of safety.

The object of the invention is a rapid connection plate of a cyclist's shoe on a cycle pedal, comprising a body provided with securement holes for the plate on the sole of the shoe, and a first rear connection member and a second front connection member, said first and second connection members having bearing surfaces adapted to coact with a pivoting rear hooking member respectively with a fixed front hooking member provided on the pedal, characterized by the fact that substantially all of said bearing surfaces of at least said first rear connection member are formed on an added member of a material having a coefficient of friction reduced relative to that of the material of said body.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

-   -   substantially all the bearing surfaces of said second front         connecting member are also formed on an added member of a         material having a reduced coefficient of friction;     -   each member is in the form of a molded member fixed on said         connection member;     -   said member is fixed point-wise on said connection member by         anchoring pins made of the same material as said member and         extending into holes provided in said body;     -   said holes are shouldered holes forming a cavity for an         anchoring head on said anchoring pins;     -   said holes are through holes in which said anchoring pins extend         over only a portion of the height of the holes to stop short at         a distance from the lower surface of the plate so as to form         wear indicators on this latter;     -   the materials of said body and respectively of said member are         of different colors permitting easily distinguishing said wear         indicators;     -   said member is obtained by overmolding on said body;     -   the member on said first connecting member comprises a         horizontal element extending over practically all the width of         the plate, a central convex vertical element, and two inclined         vertical lateral elements disposed at the ends of the horizontal         element;     -   said horizontal element, said central element, and said two         vertical elements are of a single piece obtained by injection         molding and fixed on the surface of the first connecting member;     -   said central element of the member on said first connecting         member extends into a central opening provided at the rear end         of said body and opening into a cavity in the latter receiving         material of the member so as to block the latter on the body.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, as a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the connecting plate according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line III-III of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the plate of FIG. 1;

and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified plate according to the invention.

In the drawings, identical or equivalent elements have the same reference numerals.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the upper surface of a rapid connection plate 1 to a cycle pedal (not shown). The plate comprises a body 2 of plastic material having high characteristics of resistance to wear, such as an acetal resin. In a way known per se, the body 2 is comprised by a rear generally rectangular portion and a front generally triangular portion.

The plate 1 is provided with three securement holes 3 of which one is disposed at the front of the plate and two laterally at the rear of the latter. Each securement hole 3 is adapted to receive a securement screw 4 permitting securing the plate against a cyclist's shoe sole (not shown).

These securement holes 3 preferably have the shape of longitudinal slots parallel to each other so as to permit a certain longitudinal adjustment of the position of the plate 1 on the sole.

Each securement hole 3 is provided with an internal shoulder 5 constituting a bearing surface for a metallic crosspiece 6 against which the head of the securement screw 4 comes to bear.

In the illustrated example, the plate 1 comprises a fourth oval securement hole 7 that is substantially central, receiving a securement screw 8 for a position memory device as described in French patent application FR 03 09364 of the applicant. This securement screw 8 is, after screwing into this device, hidden by a non-skid shoe 9.

The rapid connection plate 1 moreover comprises a first rear connection member 10 and a second front connection member 11.

The first rear connection member 10 has the shape of a rearwardly and upwardly opening recess. This recess extends over practically all the width of the plate and comprises bearing surfaces 12 to 15, adapted to coact with a rear pivotal hooking member (not shown) on the pedal. In general, this hooking member has the shape of a claw which is received in the cavity defined by the recess and the lower surface of the cyclist's shoe sole when the plate is fixed on this latter.

These bearing surfaces of the first connection member 10 comprise a horizontal bearing surface 12, a central vertical convex bearing surface 13, and two lateral inclined vertical bearing surfaces 14, 15 disposed at the opposite ends of the horizontal bearing surface 12. The rear hooking member thus rests during use against the horizontal bearing surface 12, and against the convex vertical central bearing surface 13. However, during disengagement of the plate by lateral rotation of this latter, the rear hooking member will come to bear against one or the other of the inclined lateral bearing surfaces 14, 15, which has the result that the rear hooking member will be pressed back while pivoting to free the plate.

The second front connection member 11 has the form of a rounded beak 11′ which projects from the lower portion of the summit of the triangle formed by the front portion of the plate. This second front connection member 11 is thus staged by the configuration of the beak 11′ properly so called, and of the front upper portion of the plate corresponding to the apex of the triangle and which is also rounded. The second front connection member 11 comprises two bearing surfaces 16, 17 adapted to coact with a fixed front hooking member (not shown) provided on the pedal.

These bearing surfaces of the second connecting member 11 comprise a horizontal bearing surface 16 on the beak 11′ and a rounded vertical bearing surface 17 extending about the summit of the triangle and which will coact with a V shape provided at the center of the internal surface of the second hooking member. The beak 11′ is also rounded and will be disposed in a recess in the internal surface of the front hooking member which has the same radius of curvature as that of the beak 11′ so as to define a vertical axis of rotation of the plate for the disengagement movement.

According to an important characteristic of the invention, the bearing surfaces 12 to 15 of at least the first rear connecting member 10 are formed on an added member 18 of a material having a coefficient of friction reduced relative to that of the material of the body 2.

This member 18 comprises a horizontal element 19 extending over practically all the width of the plate, a central vertical convex element 20, and two vertical inclined lateral elements 21, 22 disposed at the ends of the horizontal element 19. Preferably, the horizontal element 19, the central element 20 and the two vertical elements 21, 22 are of a single piece obtained by injection molding and fixed on the surface of the first connecting member 10.

Preferably, and as shown in the drawings, the bearing surfaces 16, 17 of the second front connection member 11 are also formed on an added member 23 of a material having a reduced coefficient of friction. This member 23 comprises a horizontal element 24 extending over the beak 11′ of the second connection member 11 and a vertical element 25 extending over the front upper portion of the plate.

This material which has a reduced coefficient of friction can for example be constituted by a resin to which additives such as PTFE has been added.

This front member 23 is also preferably of a single piece obtained by injection molding and fixed on the surface of the second connection member 11.

During production of the plate, one preferably begins by injection molding the body 2 of the plate in a first mold, unmolding it, and placing it in a second mold into which the members 18, 23 are added by direct overmolding on the body 2. The two injection moldings can moreover be carried out successively in a single injection press.

To secure the members 18, 23 on the body 2, this latter is provided with through-holes 26 opening on one hand through the lower surface of the body of the plate 1 and on the other hand through the upper surface of the latter in the first and second connecting members 10, 11.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the through-holes 26 are shouldered so as to have a reduced cross-section toward the first and second connection members 10, 11. During the second injection molding, material penetrates into these through-holes 26 so as to form anchoring pins 27 terminating in an anchoring head 28 within each through-hole 26. These anchoring pins 27 are of the same material as the members 18, 23 and have the purpose of fixing this latter point-wise on the respective connecting member 10, 11.

So as to block the member 18 in the axial direction on the first connecting member 10, the central vertical element 20 extends into a central opening 29 at the rear end of the body 2 opening into a cavity 30 of this latter receiving the material of the member 23 during molding this latter.

So as to block the member 18 also in the transverse direction during disengagement movement by lateral pivoting of the plate, the vertical lateral elements 21, 22 comprise on their rear surface a projection 31 entering into a respective recess 32 provided at the rear end of the body 2.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the through-holes 26 are not entirely filled during molding of the members 18, 23 such that the anchoring pins 27 extending over only a portion of the height of the holes and stop short of the lower surface of the plate so as to form wear indications on this latter.

To the extent that the lower surface of the plate 1 wears during walking of the cyclist, the ends of the pins 27 will approach this lower surface and finally become flush with the latter, which corresponds to the maximum moment of wear of the plate which then must be replaced by a new plate.

So as easily visually to distinguish the wear indicators formed by the pins 27, the materials of the body 2 and of the member 18, 19 are of different colors.

Finally, FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a modification in which the front member 19 covers only the horizontal bearing surface 16, whilst the rear member 18 covers only the horizontal bearing surface 12 and the two vertical lateral bearing surfaces 14, 15. Other combinations are obviously envisageable without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples that are shown and described, but corresponds also to members separately produced and then fixed on the plate, for example b gluing. 

1. Rapid connection plate of a cyclist's shoe on a cycle pedal, comprising a body (2) provided with securement holes (3) for the plate (1) to the sole of the shoe, and a first rear connection member (10) and a second front connection member (11), said first and second connection members having bearing surfaces (12 to 17) adapted to coact with a pivoting rear hooking member respectively with a fixed front hooking member provided on the pedal, characterized by the fact that substantially all of said bearing surfaces (12 to 15) of at least said first rear connection member (10) are formed on an added member (18) of a material having a coefficient of friction reduced relative to that of the material of said body (2).
 2. Rapid connection plate according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that substantially all the bearing surfaces (16, 17) of said second front connection member (11) are also formed on an added member (23) of a material having a reduced coefficient of friction.
 3. Rapid connection plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that each member (18, 23) is in the form of a molded piece (19 to 22, 24 to 25) fixed on said connection member (10, 11).
 4. Rapid connection plate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said member (18, 23) is point-wise fixed on said connecting member by anchoring pins (27) made of the same material as said member (18, 23) and extending into holes (26) provided in said body (2).
 5. Rapid connection plate according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that said holes (26) are shouldered holes forming a cavity for an anchoring head (28) on said anchoring pins (27).
 6. Rapid connection plate according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by the fact that said holes (26) are through-holes in which said anchoring pins (27) extend over only a portion of the height of the holes to stop short of the lower surface of the plate in a manner to form indicators of wear of this latter.
 7. Rapid connection plate according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the materials of said bodies (2) respectively of said member (18, 23) are of different colors permitting easily distinguishing said wear indicators formed by said pins (27).
 8. Rapid connection plate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said member (18, 23) is obtained by overmolding on said body (2).
 9. Rapid connection plate according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by the fact that the member (18) on said first connecting member (10) comprises a horizontal element (19) extending over practically all the width of the plate (1), a central vertical convex element (20), and two lateral vertical inclined elements (21, 22) disposed at the ends of the horizontal element (19).
 10. Rapid connection plate according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that said horizontal element (19), said central element (20), and said two vertical elements (21, 22) are of a single piece obtained by injection molding and fixed on the surface of the first connecting member (10).
 11. Rapid connection plate according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by the fact that said central element (20) of the member (18) on said first connection member (10) extends into a central opening (29) provided at the rear end of said body (2) and opening into a cavity (30) of the latter receiving material of the member (18) so as to block the latter on the body (2). 